Ambergris Cay

Ambergris Cay (also called Key or Caye) is the largest island of Belize, situated off the shore.

History
Ambergris Key was originally part of New Spain, Spain's protectorate over the Americas. The key featured a dive site for scavengers who wished to steal from the wreckage of sunken ships, but more importantly, it was a hotbed of pirate activity. Captain Edward Kenway, the captain of the pirate brig "Jackdaw", plundered around 14 Spanish ships in the small channel between Ambergris Key and mainland Belize, with the main ships being either men-of-war or frigates, accompanied by brigs, sloops, or schooners (or, rarely, gunboats). The ships were intended to leave with resources such as metal and cloth to transport to Havana or Spain itself, but also carried large amounts of Reales (R), the Spanish currency until 1864.

Currently, Ambergris Key (now called Ambergris Cay) is the largest island of Belize, an independent country today. It is a popular tourist attraction, as the population of Belize speak English due to the rule of British Honduras for many years.